Aries Correa Went Accordingly On Shore,
And Was Accommodated By The Orders Of The Zamorin With A Convenient House
For
Himself and his goods, which belonged to the Guzerate merchant, who
was likewise commanded to assist Correa in regard to
The prices of his
merchandize and all other things relating to the trade and customs of the
place. But this man being a friend to the Moors of Mecca, thwarted him in
all things instead of giving him assistance. The Moors were determined
enemies to our people, both for being Christians, and lest their credit
and advantageous traffic in Calicut might suffer by the establishment of
our trade in that port. Wherefore, by means of their confederacy with the
Guzerate merchant, they took our goods at any price they pleased, and
intimidated the Malabars from trading with us. The Moors concluded that
the establishment of our factory would lower the price of such
commodities as they had to sell, and would inhance the value of the
spiceries, drugs, and jewels which they took in exchange. On this account
they thwarted Correa in all his transactions, offering higher prices than
ordinary for every article, by which he was constrained to buy every
thing at a very dear rate. If at any time he wished an audience of the
zamorin, the Moors always contrived to be present, that some of them
might speak against him. In this conduct they were assisted by
_Samicide_[20], a Moor, who was admiral of Calicut; who likewise hindered
any of our people of the factory from going on board the fleet, and
detained any of our boats that approached the shore, pretending to do this
by command of the zamorin.
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